Life After Death/Issue 17
Morgan and Drake were lying together on one of the sleeping bags as everyone else started getting ready to go to sleep. "How's your wrist?" Drake asked. "Broken," she sarcastically replied. "But it still feels like shit. My leg hurts like hell, too." Drake put his arm around her and pulled her in closer. "When I saw you get hit...I thought you were dead. I-I lost my mind, I tried to run over to you." "It's good that you didn't, you could have got hit." "That's what Bill said...god, I feel bad for the guy. He seemed like a dick, but he didn't deserve this shit." "Yeah...I feel bad for his daughter, too. Seeing her dad go through this...the chance that he might die...it's got to be hard. At first I thought these people were a bunch of crazy assholes...but now I just feel bad for all of them. They've been through so much more than we have." Devon walked into the building, and plopped down on an empty sleeping bag across the room. Emily followed, and layed down on one near the front door. "That Devon guy," Drake said, acknowledging his presence. "Losing his sister the other day, then getting locked up in a room full of creeps. That's gotta leave a permanent mark on him. He looks so sad." "I hope they're all able to pull through, it's pretty depressing seeing everyone like this." "I'm sure they'll be alright. We should probably go to sleep now." "Yeah, goodnight." "Goodnight." The two shared a kiss before closing their eyes and falling into a deep sleep. ---- The next morning, everyone woke up late in the afternoon, having gone to bed just before sunrise. The group gathered around the firepit, which Walden had relit to cook some soup, and to keep the group warm on the brisk, autumn morning. Devon turned to Emily, who was sitting beside him. "Hey," he said. "Forget what I said last night. I was tired and miserable...I shouldn't have said that crap." "It's fine." "So, guys," Eric said as he cleared his throat. "I think we need to start thinking of where we're going to go from here. It's pretty obvious this place isn't safe. I know there's something out there, I just know it. Harter was a dud, but that doesn't mean there's no place left in the world that's safe from all this shit." "I heard about a military base down south," Gregory added. "That's where me and my family were heading before...you know. It's far, but it could work." "That's one option." "What are we going to do with Walden?" Andre asked. "Is he coming with us?" "I don't see why not," Emily said. "He's been nothing but kind and helpful ever since we got here." "Of course he's coming with us, at least, if he wants to," Eric affirmed. "Where is he anyway?" Brie asked. "I want to know if dad's doing okay." "He said he was grabbing bowls for breakfast, I'm sure he'll be back soon. So, any other suggestions? Dolph?" "No," he responded bitterly. "Morgan? Drake? You guys hear of any place?" "No, sorry," Morgan answered. "Just Harter." "Fuck. I guess we have to head to that military base, we don't exactly have any other choice. Gregory, do you know where it is exactly?" "Not really, all I know is it was about straight south from where I used to live. That was around where I ran into the rest of you, so if we just backtrack, we can get there." "That means passing through Alvin again..." "Didn't he say there are multiple posts?" Drake asked. "We could just go through one of the others and avoid Alvin entirely." "Shit, I didn't even think about that. Good idea." Walden returned from a building across the street with a pile of bowls and spoons in his arms. He placed them down beside the fire, took the large pot off of the makeshift grill, and started pouring the soup into the bowls. He handed them out to everyone, and then sat down with his own. "Is my dad doing alright?" Brie asked. "He was breathing when I checked in on him earlier this morning," Walden informed her. "I doubt there's been any change." "So, Walden," Eric started. "We were thinking about leaving this place soon." "Oh?" "Yeah, and we were wondering if you would like to come with? I mean, you've been very hospitable while we've been here, it wouldn't feel right not to offer." "Well, there's not much left for me here but memories. Memories I'd rather leave behind. I'd love to come with you." "Alright, do you have a working vehicle?" "There are a couple of cars across the street behind the building, I'm sure we could get one or two working." "Sounds good." "So, when were you thinking of heading out?" Eric looked at the rest of his group. "Does today work for everyone?" The rest of the group nodded in approval. "Does that work for you, Walden?" "Of course, there's nothing holding me here." Walden took the last mouthful of his soup, and stood up. "I think I'll go geth the vehicles ready." "Alright, we'll be ready when you get back." Once everyone was done with their food, they stacked the bowls beside the convenience store. Eric, Andre, and Emily went to go grab the sleeping bags they were using the previous night, while everyone else waited by the fire. Dolph turned to Devon and spoke to him. "I'm sorry about being an insensitive asshole the other day," he said. "I didn't really understand what you were going through at the time. But now..." Dolph sighed. "Walden said that he remembered someone with the same name as my sister being here when the undead sweeped through...so I kind of get it now. It's like a void inside of you; an empty void that makes you feel like shit." "The void will never go away," Devon said. "But you can set it aside. You can't get mad at yourself for what happened." Dolph chuckled. "That sounds like something Gregory would say, has he been getting to you?" "Heh, a little bit, I guess." The two sat in silence for a moment. "You're a good kid, Devon. Even after all the shit you've been through, you're still standing strong. Before I met everyone here, me and Zoe, my sister, ran into some kid around your age. His mom and dad were being eaten, and he just stood there. He froze up...and got eaten too. It was horrifying." "That sounds like it would have been hard to watch." "Oh, it was." ---- Eric, Andre, and Emily were in the building they slept in the previous night, rolling up the sleeping bags. "Hell of a week," Andre said, breaking the silence. "You could say that again," Emily responded as she rolled up a sleeping bag. "I feel bad for Bill." "I don't." "Why not?" "In the camp...there was this girl. Young, a little younger than you I think. I ran into her and she just dropped her weapon and surrendered. She looked so scared...then Bill...he came up and just popped a bullet in her head like she was one of the dead." "That fucker did that?" Eric asked. "Yeah. Believe me, I was pissed." "I hate to say this...but I wouldn't really complain if that asshole died. He's always been against everyone, causing fights, being a prick. I'd just feel bad for Brie." "Yeah, she's such a sweet girl, she doesn't deserve this." "Neither does Bill," Emily added. "Yes, he's an asshole, but he had to put down his wife...in front of Brie...that must have tormented both of them." "Yeah, I guess you're right," Eric said as he rolled up the last sleeping bag. "Well, we better get back." ---- Bill opened his eyes. He was in a small, circular, blue tent, laying on a scrunched up sleeping bag that poked his back. He sat up with a grunt and looked at what was left of his arm. There was a stump only a few inches away from his shoulder. "God damn," he whispered to himself. He opened up the tent door and stepped out into the sunshine. He looked across the street and saw Devon, Dolph, Gregory, Morgan, Drake, and Brie sitting around the fire. To their left, coming out of the building, were Eric, Andre, and Emily. Bill started to walk down the road as Brie spotted him. "Dad!" she yelled upon seeing her father, alive. Credits * * * * * * * * * * * Deaths *None